French authorities are investigating the tragic death of South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa, whose body was discovered outside a Paris hotel on Tuesday.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the investigation is actively ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the ambassador’s passing.
A statement from the prosecutor’s office revealed that Mr. Mthethwa had checked into a room on the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel, located on the western side of the French capital. The window of his room was found to have been forced open.
The ambassador’s wife had alerted police to his disappearance on Monday, the day before his body was found.
South Africa’s foreign ministry has officially confirmed the death of Mr. Mthethwa, emphasizing that the precise circumstances remain under thorough investigation.
Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s foreign minister, expressed profound grief, stating, “I have no doubt that his passing is not only a national loss, but is also felt within the international diplomatic community.”
Mr. Mthethwa, aged 58, commenced his role as ambassador to France in 2024, having been appointed in 2023. He was a long-standing and prominent figure within South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (A.N.C.).
His distinguished political career began at the tender age of 15, when he joined a youth organization actively opposing South Africa’s oppressive apartheid regime. He subsequently became a part of the A.N.C.’s underground movement, which had been outlawed by the white-minority government.
Following the dismantling of apartheid in 1994, Mr. Mthethwa steadily ascended through the ranks of his party and government. He notably served on the A.N.C.’s national executive committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, and held ministerial positions including minister of police, and minister of sport, arts and culture, before embarking on his diplomatic mission in Paris.
Mr. Mthethwa is survived by his devoted wife and children, as confirmed by South Africa’s foreign ministry.